


off the grid

by omgcyj



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Noren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 19:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16918860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omgcyj/pseuds/omgcyj
Summary: Renjun and Jeno committed their lives to the whacky world of software design at the age of 20, meaning they're constantly surrounded by technology. Thus, when their slightly eccentric friend Donghyuck suggested that they go off the grid for a week, the two were shocked.





	off the grid

Jeno knows he can tell his boss the truth, he knows there's no way his superior can rob him this of small favor when he's worked his ass off as the director of engineering for fifteen years, and yet when his boss asks him "Why do you want to take a week off?" he blurts out "My boyfriend's pregnant!" 

His boss is mildly amused at best, and waves him off with a dismissal "Go ahead, but make sure you're back in time for our new product launch." Jeno nearly cries of happiness, sprinting out of his chair and nearly knocking over his boss's venti-sized Americano. Coffee is the only thing that gets him through the day with employees like Jeno - a brilliant employee whom the company would be doomed without, but a tad too excitable for a thirty-year old. 

Jeno bursts through the doors of his apartment at 7 pm, screaming "He said yes!" as Renjun peers over his computer with wide eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that Jeno's boss would say yes, and yet his heart still flutters when he hears it from Jeno himself. "That's great!" Renjun exclaims. "I'm booking the Airbnb right now." 

Jeno takes a picture of the cabin on Renjun's photo screen and posts it on Instagram, tagging the location as "off the grid". Renjun beams. 

Rows of tall buildings and cramped homes morph into vast expanses of green foliage as their minivan zooms along the highway and the GPS chimes "You have two hours until you reach your destination." Renjun reaches for the map in his backpack, knowing they'll lose service in about an hour. 

Renjun and Jeno committed their lives to the whacky world of software design at the age of 20, meaning they're constantly surrounded by technology. Renjun has found himself panicking when Alexa doesn't respond to his commands of "Play 'Toxic' by Britney Spears" fast enough, and Jeno has a blog where he debates strangers on the future of AI and discusses various conspiracy theories, one being that humanity had the technology to manufacture self-driving cars back in the 90's. Thus, when their slightly eccentric friend Donghyuck suggested that they go off the map for a week, the two were shocked. The fact that going off the grid had crossed Donghyuck's mind wasn't surprising, considering had a history of doing all sorts of hermit-y things such as consulting a Buddhist "guru" in Tibet and fasting for a day (he said he would go for a week but then Renjun showed up at his house with a tub of ice cream), but it was so out of the ordinary for the couple. Donghyuck's remarks of "It'll be great! You two can go fuck in a cabin in the woods with no wifi and you can be as loud as you want and no one will have to know!" didn't do much to sway their opinion, but it was only when he dropped the "You'll bond as a couple" bomb that their interest was piqued. 

"I convinced my friends to go off the grid and they said they wanted to get married when they came back! Think about that man! One tiny-ass house in the middle of nowhere turned two horny fuck buddies into responsible adults who were committing to spend the rest of their lives with each other! You guys act like a married couple already, so think about what can happen in that cabin!" 

Donghyuck's shrieks had attracted the attention of far too many people in the coffee shop they were in, but Renjun was starting to become convinced. He glanced at Jeno, who gave his signature eye smile, and that was all he needed. 

So here they are, exchanging Jeno's iPhone X for a tattered map with far too many intersecting lines and trying to find the Airbnb they booked the day before. Jeno is practically shaking with excitement, his leg bouncing up and down in the car seat and his fingers frantically tapping against the steering wheel. Renjun gently places a hand on his thigh and his leg stops shaking. Jeno chuckles. 

An hour after Renjun screaming at Jeno to "turn left!" and Jeno yelling "I can't tell which way to go on a prehistoric map!", they pull into the driveway. Renjun whistles, head craning upwards to marvel at the gleaming wooden cabin. Dense foliage graces the front porch and majestic trees frame either side of the house, lightly brushing the rooftop with pine needles. Jeno almost forgets to turn the car off as he gazes at the leafage in a stupor, a strange gurgle emitting from his throat as his neck cranes further and further back to gaze at the sky. Renjun's always been the one to keep Jeno grounded, and so he pulls the man from the drivers seat and latches an arm around his waist. They clamber up the steps to the cabin together and open the front door with a subtle creak and a gush of air. Jeno squeals with delight. 

An ornate magenta couch large enough for the two of them is perched in front of an elaborate fireplace, and the living room is framed by two massive bookshelves teeming with novels. A winding set of stairs leads them to the most lavish room they've ever seen, maintaining its rustic charm yet still having a sophisticated air. There's a plush king-sized bed with mounds of pillow stacked on top and Jeno waggles his eyebrows, earning a playful slap from Renjun. Renjun doesn't want to remember Donghyuck talking about his friends "getting it on" in the woods. 

It's only 5 in the evening, and yet everything outside the window seems to be pitch black. The embers in the fireplace crackle with a sort of cheeriness to them, lending out tendrils of smoke that extend a foot outward and then curl inwards to become one with the air. Renjun wiggles his toes, marveling at the fuzzy socks Jeno bought him last Christmas. His head rests on Jeno's broad chest as the younger cards his hands through Renjun's hair, occasionally running the pads of his fingers along his cheeks as well. The call of an owl resonates from outside, and Renjun can feel Jeno's breath as he laughs against Renjun's scalp. 

As Renjun's eyes grow heavy with fatigue, he thanks Donghyuck for introducing him to the first step towards hermit life. He knows he can't give up the comforts of civilization forever and his fingers will ache with the desire to continue coding for his company within seven or eight days, but for now, he's content. Laying against Jeno as his chest dips and swells with his breathing, playing with his fingers as their hands intertwine on the couch; it's almost picture perfect. 

Jeno places a soft kiss on Renjun's cheek and lightly brushes his fingertips over his eyelids, whispering to Renjun that it's okay to fall asleep. 

He closes his eyes with the sounds of owls and burning embers filling his ears, and the smells of pine needles and Jeno, and the feeling of Jeno's arms around him, lips pressed to his cheek, murmurs of "You're so beautiful." 

"I love you," Renjun whispers. 

Cabins in the middle of nowhere must do wonders. Renjun's never uttered those three words before, but he truly means it.

**Author's Note:**

> aah this was really rushed but 1k words about noren living in the woods >>>>> studying for calc


End file.
